Unblockable attack
An unblockable attack (also called unblockable move or unblockable) is an attack that cannot be defended against with a shield or a counterattack. Unblockable attacks tend to be exceptionally powerful and are often grabs, Final Smashes, wielded by bosses, or moves from rare Pokémon and Assist Trophies; there are very few moves that are unblockable outside of these cases. In Brawl, SSB4, and Ultimate, most characters have at least one unblockable attack if grabs and Final Smashes are counted.
Unblockable attacks can still be avoided by intangibility, such as sidestepping and air dodging, as well as Bayonetta's Witch Time in most cases. True invincibility also protects against unblockable attacks, such as that granted by a Super Star.
It is possible for a shielding character to be hit by a blockable attack and an unblockable attack on the same frame. What happens in this situation depends on the game.
- In Melee, the blockable attack hits the shield, and the shielder is hit by the unblockable attack.
- In Brawl and SSB4, the blockable attack hits the shield and the shielder goes into shieldstun. The unblockable attack hits the shielder, but it deals no damage or knockback.
All grabs (with the exception of Isabelle's Fishing Rod, Joker's grounded Grappling Hook, Terry's Buster Wolf and Byleth's Sword of the Creator) are unblockable and so will not be included in the following list.
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List of unblockable attacks by characters[edit]
Moves only available as custom moves are indicated in italics.
| Move | User | Portion of move |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Hit Combo | Kazuya | Last hit |
| Aether | Ike (Brawl only) | Sword while loose |
| Focus Attack | Ryu and Ken | Fully charged |
| Guard Breaker | Little Mac | Entire move |
| Kamikazee | Hero | Explosion |
| KO Uppercut | Little Mac | Entire move ( grounded version only)
|
| Nayru's Love | Kirby (Brawl only) | Entire move, normal move by Zelda not unblockable |
| Pac-Jump | Pac-Man (SSB4 only) | Grounded version only. The move is actually blockable, but grounded opponents who touch the trampoline will instantly drop shield and jump. As the trampoline spawns on frame 1, this technically makes the grounded version impossible to block. Fixed in Ultimate as the trampoline was made to appear after the attack hits |
| Reflect Barrier | Palutena | The shield's hitbox |
| Rocketbarrel Boost | Diddy Kong | Loose barrels |
| Shield Piercer | Meta Knight | Entire move |
| Up aerial | Mr. Game & Watch (except in Ultimate) | Wind |
| Vision | Shulk (SSB4 only) | Counterattack, both versions (standard and forward-held) |
| Waddle Dee Toss | King Dedede | Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos in certain situations |
List of unblockable Final Smashes[edit]
Note that, in Ultimate, all Final Smashes are unblockable, so this table only applies to Brawl and Smash 4.
| Move | User | Portion of move |
|---|---|---|
| Aura Storm | Lucario | Entire move |
| Beast Ganon | Ganondorf | Entire move |
| Blue Falcon | Captain Falcon | Trapping hit |
| Critical Hit | Marth, Lucina, and Roy | Entire move |
| Diffusion Beam | R.O.B. | Entire move |
| End of Day | Olimar | Entire move |
| Galaxia Darkness | Meta Knight | Initiation |
| Great Aether | Ike | Sword while loose |
| Grenade Launcher | Snake | Entire move |
| Konga Beat | Donkey Kong | Wind |
| Landmaster | Fox, Falco, and Wolf | Entire move |
| Light Arrow | Zelda and Sheik | First hit |
| Mario Finale | Mario and Dr. Mario | Entire move |
| Negative Zone | Luigi | Entire move |
| Octopus | Mr. Game & Watch | Entire move |
| Peach Blossom | Peach | Entire move |
| PK Starstorm | Ness and Lucas | Entire move |
| Power Suit Samus | Zero Suit Samus | Last hit pre-transformation |
| Psystrike | Mewtwo | Entire move |
| Puff Up | Jigglypuff | Entire move |
| Super Dragon | Yoshi | Fireballs |
| Super Sonic | Sonic | Entire move |
| Triforce Slash | Link, Young Link, and Toon Link | Swipes |
| Triple Finish | Pokémon Trainer | Entire move |
| Zero Laser | Samus | Last hit |
List of unblockable attacks by items[edit]
| Item | Situation |
|---|---|
| Banana | Stationary |
| Beehive | Bees |
| Blast Box | Explosion (Brawl only) |
| Bumper | When active |
| Daybreak | Any situation |
| Deku Nut | Any situation |
| Dragoon | Any situation |
| Freezie | When it "bursts" (Brawl Only) |
| Gooey Bomb | Any situation |
| Hothead | Spark |
| Motion-Sensor Bomb | Explosion (Blockable in SSB) |
| Pitfall | Any situation |
| Screw Attack | Any situation |
| Smart Bomb | Any situation |
| Spring | Any situation |
| Warp Star | Any situation |
Unblockable Poké Ball Attacks[edit]
| Pokémon | Situation |
|---|---|
| Articuno | Any situation |
| Bellossom | Any situation |
| Clefairy | All attacks |
| Electrode | Any situation |
| Entei | Any situation |
| Ho-Oh | Any situation |
| Keldeo | Any situation |
| Lugia | Any situation |
| Moltres | Any situation |
| Scizor | Any situation |
| Snorlax | Descent |
| Suicune | Any situation |
| Togepi | All attacks |
| Unown | First attack |
| Weezing | Any situation |
| Wobbuffet | Any situation |
| Zapdos | Any situation |
List of unblockable attacks by enemies and bosses[edit]
| Enemy | Situation |
|---|---|
| Subspace Army goons | Careening state |
| Crazy Hand | Falling bombs ( explosion is blockable)
|
| Duon | Spin attack (Wind only) |
| Galleom | Dual smash, Single stomp, Spin attack (Wind only for all) |
| Master Core | Red waves (if not defeated within 45 seconds) |
| Master Giant | Arm swing (delayed slash effect) |
| Meta Ridley | Mega fireball, Falcon flyer slam |
| Polar Bear | Stomp (earthquake effect only) |
| Rayquaza | Thunder (Wind only), Spiral dive |
| Tabuu | Off waves, Electric shield |
| Galeem | Lens Flare |
